Not impressed. Resnais’s Hiroshima Mon Amour seemed heartfelt and romantic. Marienbad was pretentious and the kind of movie that tries to make you feel stupid if you don’t like it. Were I feel a film critic in 1961, I might try to pretend to understand and like a movie like this because it’s obtuse and foreign. Now, watching Marienbad is like watching a SNL parody. It’s the cliche of what foreign film. It’s why the general public thinks they hate all foreign movies. Yes, it looks amazing. The harsh shadows and costuming are perfect for the setting. The statuesque movements of the players are intriguing and all, but its meaning is lost in all the bullshit.

May 14th: M. Hulot’s Holiday

Now here’s what I like to see. Mr. Bean in France. The original Mr. Bean. Monsieur Bean original. I still like Mon Oncle a little more: it’s a little more polished and even more charming. No one films children quite like Tati. His portrayal of them is always very honest and natural, just letting them be themselves on camera. It makes even me like kids.

Yes! I loved that. And I also loved when he lets that boat go into the water and tries to act casually by drying himself off…but he really just dries the poll off. Do you remember that? Scott and I were dying.